Overview
BBQAdvisor is a smoking coach for low-and-slow barbecue. We help you plan cooks, check in mid-smoke, and diagnose finished results. This policy explains what data we collect when you use the app, how we use it, and the rights you have over it.
You can use BBQAdvisor's free tier without creating an account — unlimited cook plans, computed on your device. Creating an account lets you save your cook library; a Pro subscription unlocks the full cut roster plus the mid-cook Check and finished-cook Log features.
We collect the minimum data needed to make the app work. We do not sell your data to advertisers or data brokers. We do not track you across other apps and websites. BBQAdvisor contains no advertising and no ad networks.
Data We Collect
Account data
If you create an account, we collect your email address — used to send the one-time sign-in link that authenticates you. If you choose Sign in with Apple, we also store the Apple user identifier Apple provides so we can recognize you on future sign-ins.
We assign each account an internal user ID (a randomly-generated identifier) that links you to your saved cooks, custom rubs, and subscription state.
We do not collect your name, phone number, address, date of birth, or other personal identifiers unless you choose to enter them in your cook notes.
Usage data
While you use the app we collect basic usage events — cook plans you create, checks and logs you submit, and which app screens you interact with. This helps us understand which features are useful and where the app falls short.
We also collect crash reports and basic device diagnostics (device model, OS version, app version) to fix bugs and improve reliability.
We use your IP address as a rate-limit identifier on server requests as an abuse backstop. The IP is not used to profile you or linked to advertising.
Photos and cook logs
The mid-cook Check and finished-cook Log features accept photos of your cook. When you submit one, it is sent to our processing partner (Anthropic) to generate the analysis you see in the app. When you save a cook, we store the plan, results, and any photos you attached so you can review them later in your library.
We do not use your photos to train AI models, share them with other users, or use them in marketing without your explicit permission.
Cook plans in the free tier are computed deterministically — planning a cook does not send photos anywhere.
Subscription data
If you subscribe to Pro, we store your subscription tier (free or pro) and entitlement expiry. The underlying payment is handled by Apple or Google — we never see your credit card or financial information.
How We Use Your Data
We use the data we collect to:
- Provide the BBQAdvisor service — cook plans, timelines, scaled rub recipes, mid-cook check verdicts, and finished-cook diagnoses based on what you submit.
- Save and recall your cook library and custom rubs when you sign in.
- Send you authentication emails (magic sign-in links) and respond to your support requests.
- Enforce fair-use limits that guard against abuse and runaway requests.
- Diagnose crashes and improve the app's reliability and quality.
We do not use your data to make decisions about you outside the app, to build advertising profiles, or to sell to data brokers.
Third-Party Services
Anthropic (photo and cook analysis)
The Pro Check and Log features use Anthropic's Claude API to generate the analysis you see — mid-cook verdicts and finished-cook diagnoses. When you use these features, your cook details and any photos you submit are sent to Anthropic for processing.
Anthropic processes this data on our behalf under their API data policy and does not use it to train their AI models. See Anthropic's Privacy Policy.
RevenueCat (subscriptions)
If you subscribe to Pro, RevenueCat manages your subscription state across the App Store and Google Play on our behalf. They receive your internal BBQAdvisor user ID and your subscription information (start date, expiry, renewal status). They do not receive your email, photos, or cooks. See RevenueCat's Privacy Policy.
Cloudflare (infrastructure)
BBQAdvisor's backend runs on Cloudflare's infrastructure — Workers (serverless functions), D1 (database), and KV (cache). Cloudflare stores the data we collect on our behalf in encrypted form. See Cloudflare's Privacy Policy.
Resend (email)
We use Resend to deliver authentication emails (magic sign-in links). Resend receives your email address and the link content only for delivery. They do not use this for their own marketing. See Resend's Privacy Policy.
No advertising partners. BBQAdvisor does not integrate any ad network or advertising SDK, on any tier. There is no App Tracking Transparency prompt because there is no tracking.
Data Retention
We retain account data for as long as your account is active. If you stop using the app, we retain your account data for up to 24 months from your last sign-in, then we anonymize or delete it on a rolling basis.
Crash reports and aggregated usage events are retained for up to 90 days, then deleted.
Photos and cook logs are retained as part of your saved library until you delete them individually or close your account.
Rate-limit records tied to IP addresses are retained for up to 35 days for abuse prevention, then expired automatically.
Your Rights
Access and portability
You can request a copy of the personal data we hold about you. Send your request to privacy@bbqadvisor.app from the email address tied to your BBQAdvisor account. We respond within 30 days.
Account and data deletion
You can delete your BBQAdvisor account and all associated data at any time, directly in the app: open the Library tab, choose Delete account, and confirm. Deletion is immediate.
You can also request deletion by email:
- Send an email to privacy@bbqadvisor.app from the email address tied to your BBQAdvisor account.
- Use the subject line "Account deletion request."
- We confirm receipt within 3 business days and complete deletion within 30 days.
What gets deleted: your account record (email address, internal user ID, Apple user identifier if linked), all saved cooks and their history, all custom rubs, any photos you uploaded, your subscription state, your usage counters, and all active session tokens.
What we retain after deletion: aggregated, anonymous usage statistics with no personal identifiers; billing records required by tax law (handled by Apple or Google, not by us directly) for up to 7 years; abuse-related logs (such as rate-limit records tied to IP addresses) for up to 90 days for fraud prevention.
Deleting your account does not cancel a Pro subscription — cancel that in your App Store or Google Play subscription settings (see our Terms for steps).
Regional Rights
California residents (CCPA)
If you reside in California, you have additional rights under the California Consumer Privacy Act, including the right to know what categories of personal information we collect, the right to delete your personal information, the right to correct inaccurate personal information, and the right to opt out of any sale or sharing of personal information.
BBQAdvisor does not sell your personal information and does not share it for cross-context behavioral advertising. To exercise CCPA rights, contact privacy@bbqadvisor.app.
EEA/UK residents (GDPR)
If you reside in the European Economic Area, the United Kingdom, or Switzerland, you have rights under the GDPR including access, rectification, erasure, restriction of processing, data portability, and objection to processing.
Our lawful bases for processing your data are: (a) performance of the BBQAdvisor service contract (necessary for the features you request), and (b) our legitimate interests in app reliability and abuse prevention.
To exercise GDPR rights, contact privacy@bbqadvisor.app. You also have the right to lodge a complaint with your local data protection authority.
Children's Privacy
BBQAdvisor is intended for adults 18 and over. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If you believe a child under 13 has provided personal information to BBQAdvisor, contact privacy@bbqadvisor.app and we will delete it promptly.
Changes to This Policy
We may update this privacy policy as the app evolves. When we make material changes, we will update the effective date at the top of this page and (where required by law) notify you through the app or by email. Continued use of BBQAdvisor after an update means you accept the revised policy.
Contact
Questions about this privacy policy? Get in touch:
Email: privacy@bbqadvisor.app